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Category:    Home > Reviews > Horror > Monster > Creature > Sharks > Murder > Sexploitation > Mystery > Italy > Fantasy > Supernatural > Deep Blue Sea 2 (2017/Warner Blu-ray w/DVD)/Emanuelle & The Last Cannibals (1977*)/Enigma Russo (1978/Icarus/Doppelganger/Scorpion Blu-ray)/I Kill Giants (2017/Image/RLJ Blu-ray)/Moon Child (1989/Cult

Deep Blue Sea 2 (2017/Warner Blu-ray w/DVD)/Emanuelle & The Last Cannibals (1977*)/Enigma Russo (1978/Icarus/Doppelganger/Scorpion Blu-ray)/I Kill Giants (2017/Image/RLJ Blu-ray)/Moon Child (1989/Cult Epics Blu-ray w/DVD)/Violence In A Women's Prison (1982/*Severin Blu-rays)



Picture: B+ & B/B/B-/B+/B & C+/B Sound: B & B-/B/B/B/B & C+/B Extras: C/B/C/B/C+/B- Films: C/B/C+/B/C/B



Here's a good mix of old and new thrillers, some with fantasy, others with exploitation...



When Deep Blue Sea was released in 1999, it became something of a cult hit and to this day is one of the more memorable (and violent) shark movies outside of the Jaws franchise. This tired and slapped together sequel, Deep Blue Sea 2 (2017) follows essentially the same narrative structure only with a less interesting cast you don't really care whether or not they get eaten by genetically enhanced sharks or not. Complete with some cringe-worthy dialogue, this film will make you want to watch the original film again and marvel at how much better it is than this.


Deep Blue Sea 2 stars Danielle Savre, Michael Beach, Rob Mayes, Lily Spangenberg, Darron Meyer, and Nathan Lynn.


A shark conservationist Dr. Misty Calhoun (Savre) gets drawn to a sea based facility run by an insane billionaire Carl Durant (Michael Beach, who is essentially playing the Samuel L. Jackson character). Once Calhoun and a group of other roughnecks and scientists get to the facility, they discover that the sharks are indeed smarter and more furious than they originally bargained for... and pregnant! The hungry sharks (and their babies) turn on the humans and start to sink the facility, where the human prey must struggle to survive.


Presented in 1080p high definition with a 1.85:1 widescreen aspect ratio of 1.78:1 and a nice sounding DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 5.1 lossless mix. The film is shot like a television show and isn't too cinematic for the most part. One of the highlights of the original film was the Trevor Rabin (of Yes) score, which sadly has been replaced by an unimpressive and generic action score here. Also included is a standard definition, anamorphically enhanced DVD with compressed specs and a lossy 5.1 Dolby Digital mix. A digital HD copy is offered too.


Special Features include...


Returning to the Deep: The Making of Deep Blue Sea 2 featurette


Deep Blue Sea 2: Death by Shark featurette


Gag Reel


Deleted Scenes



Aside from a few good gore moments, Deep Blue Sea 2 is essentially a bad remake of the first. Had they included one of the original surviving characters or even acted as if the original existed, it could have been a bit more interesting. But this is just a lazy reimagining trying to cash in on brand recognition a decade too late.



Laura Gemser (Black Emanuelle) is one of the most beautiful women to have ever graced the silver screen and if you don't think so after watching Joe D'Amato's Emanuelle and the Last Cannibals (1977) and Bruno Mattei's Violence in a Women's Prison (1982) then you may need your eyes checked.


Never available in such a glorious high def state, these two films are sure to entertain any cult or B-movie fan. Keep in mind that when these films were made, they weren't afraid to show a little skin or extreme violence to impress the fan base... not like today when filmmakers tend to hold back out of fear of insulting someone. These are gritty and relentlessly entertaining cinematic experiences!


Emanuelle and the Last Cannibals aka Trap Them and Kill Them!


That Emanuelle girl is back.. and more EROTIC and EXOTIC than ever!


Not just a skin flick, but actually a pretty good cannibal film too, Emanuelle and the Last Cannibals is a low budget gore fest with a fun screenplay that will both arouse and entertain. Co-starring Gemser's real life husband, Gabrielle Tinti, Emanuelle (a sexy journalist) and a group of explorers journey to the Amazon jungle in search of a missing girl and end up instead discovering an extinct group of bloodthirsty cannibals! On a fight for their lives, the group gets devoured one by one as Emanuelle fights for her life to get off the island and survive!


The film also stars Nieves Navarro, Donald O'Brien, Percy Hogan, and Monica Zanchi.


Remastered in 2K high definition and presented in 1080p on Blu-ray disc with a widescreen aspect ratio of 1.85:1 and a PCM 2.0 Mono track, the film simply has never looked or sounded as good as it does here. While a bit of grain is evident, it only adds to the grindhouse feel of the film and puts Nico Fidencio's epic soundtrack front and center in the mix. There's several audio tracks on the disc including a dubbed English track and an original Italian track with English subs depending on your personal preference.


Special Features include...


The World of Nico Fedenco - an interview with the composer (27 min)


A Run Among the Cannibals - an interview with actress Annamaria Clementi (23 min)


Dr. O'Brien MD - an interview with actor Donald O'Brien (19 min)


From Switzerland to Mato Grosso - an interview with actress Monica Zanchi (19 min)


I Am Your Black Queen - brief audio commentary by actress Laura Gemser (11 min)


Original trailer


Website Only - Limited edition slip cover AND exclusive Laura Gemser pin.



Violence in a Women's Prison aka Emanuelle In Prison aka Caged Women


Director Bruno Mattei (Shocking Dark) is a highly underrated filmmaker and it shows here in his 'women in prison' movie, Violence in a Women's Prison, which embraces the sub genre. Also starring Laura Gemser (in a role written for her) Violence has all of the sadistic guards, saucy lesbians, and more violent girl on girl attacks than any sleaze fan can handle!


The film also stars Gabriele Tinti, Maria Romano, Ursula Flores, Antonella Giacomini, and Franco Caracciolo.


Emanuelle (Gemser) goes undercover as an inmate at a female prison but ends up becoming a prisoner herself! Put through hell and back, Emanuelle ends up facing a horrific life behind bars.


Presented in 1080p high definition with a 1.78:1 widescreen aspect ratio and a 2.0 LPCM Mono track, the film looks and sounds up to Blu-ray standards despite its age and low budget nature. Like the Last Cannibals disc, there is some grain but it adds more to the experience than detracts.


Special Features include...


Brawl In Women's Block - Interview With Co-Director/Co-Writer Claudio Fragasso and Co-Writer Rossella Drudi


Archival Interview with Director Bruno Mattei aka Vincent Dawn


Radio Spot


Severin continues to deliver the goods with these two films, which are really quite better than you may expect them to be!



A weird little Italian murder mystery, Enigma Rosso (1978) is a spooky detective story centered around the murder of a teenage girl. The prime suspects are three very close girlfriends of similar age who call them 'The Inseparables.' Could they be responsible for this young girl's death? We follow the case as it unfolds through the eyes of a detective and from the perspective of the girls themselves, which crafts an interesting narrative and isn't entirely predictable. This isn't your normal procedural crime drama as there's plenty of sleaze and nudity to help spice things up.


Directed by Alberto Negrin, the film stars Fabio Testi, Christine Kaufmann, Ivan Desny, Jack Taylor, and Bruno Alessandro. It's worth noting that this film was originally scheduled to be released on Blu-ray from Code Red but ended up finding a home at Doppelganger Releasing and Scorpion.


Presented in 1080p high definition on Blu-ray disc with its original widescreen aspect ratio of 2.35:1 and remastered audio tracks in DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 2.0 Mono tracks in Italian and English. The film looks pretty good and has had 'extensive color correction' as the back of the box claims but isn't flawless as it still shows plenty of signs of minor damages and some film artifacts apparent. Overall, I'm sure this is the best the film has looked in years and is mostly clean.


Special Features...


Audio Commentary with Historian Nathaniel Thompson


Trailers



I Kill Giants (2017) is an interesting genre film that I'm surprised didn't get more press or attention upon its initial release. Mixing fantasy with family/psychological drama, the film is based on a graphic novel of the same name written by Joe Kelly (Deadpool, Big Hero 6).


From the producers of the Harry Potter films, but much darker, the story centers around a socially disconnected girl named Barbara Thorson (Madison Wolfe) who lives half in reality and half in a fantasy type world where she battles giants. Due to her bad attitude and the poor way she treats (nearly) everyone who comes in contact with her, Barbara is constantly getting herself in trouble at school and battles demons both imaginary and real.


The film co-stars Zoe Saldana, Imogen Poots, Jennifer Ehle, and Noel Clarke.


Presented in 1080p high definition with a widescreen aspect ratio of 2.40:1 and a DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 5.1 lossless mix, the presentation is up to standards and doesn't have many glaring issues. The film has great production design and interesting cinematography, which comes across nicely here. It almost has the look/tone of a Tim Burton film but not as cartoony.


Special Features...


The Making of I Kill Giants featurette


Anatomy of a Scene featurette


I Kill Giants Graphic Novel: Chapter 1 featurette


Photo Gallery


I Kill Giants is a drama first and foremost, but plays in the world of fantasy when trying to make its point about one's psychological state. Zack Snyder should have probably leaned more this route with his critically lambasted Sucker Punch as both films share a similar theme in escapism over reality. Definitely worth checking out if you're a genre fan.



This weird, artsy Spanish Sci-Fi film is likely to make you feel a bit icky after you watch it as it isn't afraid to go against the norm and deliver truly unsettling moments. Released in 1989 under the title El Nino de la luna, Cult Epics presents Agusti Villaronga's Moon Child in 1080p Blu-ray for the first time in America.


The film centers around a twelve year old boy named David who ends up having exceptional supernatural abilities. Facing his destiny as 'the Child of the Moon', a scientific cult embraces him and takes him on a physical and spiritual journey that shells out his true callings.


Presented in 1080p high definition with a 1.65:1 widescreen aspect ratio (original ratio was 1.85:1) and complete with a Spanish DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 2.0 (mono or simple stereo, its hard to tell) track, the film has been nicely restored here from its original 35mm film elements and has a detailed sound mix with some interesting design work. Although some scenes are evident with grain, character details are pretty sharp and capture a wide range of atmospheres, from the sterile white and tan walls of the institution to some of the more stylized sets. The score by Lisa Gerrard (Gladiator) and the dark wave band Dead Can Dance is eerie and unsettling and definitely helps establish the film's odd style.


Also included is a standard definition, anamorphically enhanced DVD with similar, yet compressed, features that are fine for the format but not as impressive as the Blu-ray. The Spanish audio track is in a compressed/lossy 2.0 Dolby Digital track.


Special Features...


New Interview with Agusti Villaronga (2018)


Lobby Cards photo gallery


Isolated Score tracks by Dead Can Dance gathered exclusively for this release


Original trailers



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